Google launches mobile alternate reality game

Google has recently launched a new alternate reality game app for mobile devices. Ingress, is a free app soon to be available for download from the Google Play store.

While users play the game using their mobile device, it requires physically outdoor activity with players having to walk or drive to various locations in order to complete tasks or missions.

While anyone can play the game from anywhere around the world, everyone is essentially playing the game at the same time. Players are on one of two teams: “The Enlightened,” who embrace the power, or “The Resistance,” who fight the power.

Users have to generate virtual energy in order to actually play the game by picking up units of “XM”. These units are collected by traveling along walking paths. Once obtained, the energy is then spend on completing missions around the world to various “portals,” which in the world of gaming are mostly associated with populated public places like libraries, shopping centres or public art spaces, for example.

This becomes increasingly interesting when more people in a specific area are playing the game and are therefore competing for resources or “energy”.

Former Google director of geo John Hanke who created the game along with Niantic Labs, a start-up team wholly inside of Google, explains that the idea originally came from ubiquitous computing where the device “melts away”.

While Ingress may seem an unusual venture for Google, Hanke believes that the game will be good for Google’s business primarily due to the advertising potential. Because Ingress incorporates real stores, products and places of interest it has already formed relationships with Hint Water, Zipcar, Jamba Juice and Chrome apparel and messenger bags.